Burial vault



C. F. SCHAAF April 7, 1964 BURIAL VAULT Filed Feb. 23, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 L/ZZ INVENTOR. fi fi M w 25 y 2 BY Wm,

C. F. SCHAAF April 7, 1964 BURIAL VAULT 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 23, 1960 IN V EN TOR. CeC/VE .5 0/1 00/ fwp/izazw BY 141W C. F. SCHAAF BURIAL VAULT April 7, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 23, 1960 14 TTORNEYS United States Patent 3,127,760 BURIAL VAULT Cecil F. Schaaf, G-5522 N. Dart Highway, Flint 7, Mich, assignor of small interests to varieus assignees Filed Feb. 23, rate, Ser. Ne. 16,1?3 4 Claims. (Cl. Ell -94) This invention relates to burial vaults and method of making same, and has for its principal object the production of a lightweight metal-clad concrete vault, the materials for the construction of which can be economically manufactured, shipped and assembled without use of special tools other than the conventional tools found in most homes and small shops.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vault which includes a plurality of metal panels, cut to size, and so shaped that, when assembled, they form the mold or outer skin of a vault into which reinforcing means and lightweight concrete is placed, so that when lined with concrete to desired thickness they form a neat appearing, economical and attractive vault, which resists chipping and/or marking, and which can be readily spray painted or otherwise finished in any desired color or combination of colors.

Burial vaults presently on the market weigh in the neighborhood of 1800 lbs., and it is therefore necessary to utilize power hoists or a block and tackle arrangement to load, move, and then spot the vault, with the necessary labor incident to this handling and transportation; and I have, therefore, developed a lightweight vault of the same general size and appearance as the conventional vault presently in general use, which will weigh approximately 350 lbs. when finished, and which can be readily manufactured and handled, the base being of the same general construction as the vault body, with a sealing means interposed between said vault and base to provide an airtight joint therebetween.

Another object is to design a sectional metal form or skin, said sections being formed with flanges which, when assembled and arranged in interlocking engagement, form a complete metallic vault form which becomes the outer skin of the completed burial vault.

Vaults of the general nature and construction herein described, can be assembled and made up locally in any desired city or location, with no special tools or other specialized mechanical equipment, the parts being factory blanked and stamped, so that they can be readily assembled to form the vault mold, after which lightweight cement is applied to the inner face of the mold to form side, end, and top walls of desired thickness and necessary strength.

A further object is to provide a substantial, practical, and improved method of constructing lightweight burial vaults, which requires no skilled workmen to manufacture and assemble, and which requires a minimum of material and labor to construct.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportion, and modern details of construction, without departing from the spirit, or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my new lightweight vault.

FIG.2 is an enlarged, part sectional, end elevational view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal, sectional view through the vault.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional, end elevational view showing the vault body in position on the base.

FIG. 5 is an inverted plan view showing the metallic panels assembled to form the outer skin of the vault.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary, vertical, sectional end view showing the connection of the top and side panels.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view partly in perspective and partly in section taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 2 showing the connection of the side panels to the end panels.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of one of the side panels.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of one of the end panels.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the top panel.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional detail view showing a slightly modified base and vault connection.

FIG. 12 is a detail sectional view taken on line 12-12 of FIG. 10, the broken lines showing the flanged end panel, with the end of the side wall turned over said end panel.

FIG. 13 is a perspective plan view of the base member.

FIG. 14 is an inverted plan view thereof.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings in which I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, the vault body generally is indicated by the letter V and is formed of lightweight concrete, metal-clad and suitably reinforced, the outer shell or skin of which is comprised of a plurality of accurately fitted, prestamped panels formed of aluminum, copper, magnesium, or other lightweight metal.

The panels which form the side walls of the shell are formed as clearly shown in FIGS. 2, 7 and 8 of the drawings, and are indicated by the numerals 12-12, the end edge sections of these panels being pressed inwardly as at 13, see FIG. 7, thence extending horizontally as at 14, thence the metal is folded back parallel to the section 14 as at 15, and thence extending horizontally as at 16 to overlie the inwardly projecting flange 17 of the end panels 18, the extreme end 19 of section 16 being turned down and over the end panels 18, and is pressed into intimate facial contact with the outer face of said end panel to form a tight joint thereat.

The upper end of each side panel is formed with a turned lip 20 along its entire length, thence the panel is bent at an angle as at 21, thence extending downwardly; the lower end 22 projecting inwardly as shown, and thence upwardly as at 23 to form a lip of predetermined height.

The top panel 24 is formed as clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 10 of the drawings, being preferably crowned in cross section, the edges being turned downwardly as at 25, with the free ends turned inwardly and upwardly as at 26 for interlocking engagement with the turned lip 20 of the side panel 12, and a suitable mastic M is applied to this connection to provide a leakproof joint thereat. The ends of the top panel 24 are formed the same as the ends of the side panels 12 and are secured to the end panels 18 in exactly the same manner.

An expanded metal sheet 27 is provided in the side walls and top of the shell, the ends of the sheet following the general contour of the vault body, and a plurality of clips 28 are secured to the face of the sheet in any desired manner, said clips spacing the sheet from the inner face of the side and top panels, and similar expanded metal sheets 29 are provided in the end walls, these sheets being embedded in the 'concrete and serving to properly reinforce the vault.

The lower ends of the side and end panels 12 and 18 respectively are formed exactly the same, the end sections of the upstanding rim 23 being cut away to permit overlapping, as clearly shown in FIG. 8 of the drawings, and rivets 30 are used to secure the members in assembled relation in the conventional manner, thus forming a complete metallic shell which must then be internally coated With a lightweight concrete C of required thickness, and a continuous mastic sealing strip 33 is applied to the angled side and end walls 34 and 35 of the base to form a tight seal with the'vault body when it is placed on said base.

Thebase D is also metal-clad and comprises a flat panel 36 formed with angularly turned flanges 34 and 35 for wedging engagement with the inner edge of the open end of'tlie vault body when the parts are in assembled relation.

To form the base, the panel 36 is first placed bottom face up on a flat support (not shown), thus forming a mold which is filled with the lightweight concrete C the same as the vault body, and a strip of expanded metal 37 is laid in the concrete for reinforcing purposes. Spaced-apart, metal-clad, longitudinally-disposed ribs 38 are placed on the inverted base md are filled with the cement mixture and allowed to harden, and when the vault body is placed in position on the base, the weight or pressure of the Vault walls wedges against the mastic sealing strip 33 forms a tight leakproof seal thereat.

It has previously been stated that the individual panels can be readily nested, bundled, shipped and set up to form the outer skin and mold for the li htweight concrete mixture which is used to coat the walls of the vault, a sufiicient quantity of the dry lightweight aggregate, enough to complete each vault, being shipped with the panels, and when the workman is ready to apply the lining, a predetermined quantity of water and cement is added to the mixture to bring it to proper consistency for application to the interior walls of the vault body, and base.

In practice, the side, end, top and base panels 12, 18, 24 and 37' respectively, are first stamped from a lighweight metal and nested or bundled for shipment to a purchaser at the required destination, and with said shipment is included a quantity of lightweight aggregate sufiicient to coat the walls and base of the vault. Inasmuch as expanded metal sheets and cement are usually available locally, they can be purchased on the spot or included with the panel shipment if desired.

To assemble, it is merely necessary to first press the turned edges 26 and 26 of the side and top panels into tight interlocking engagement, then add the end panels 13 by inserting the flange 17 of said end panels between the folds 14a and 16, after which the free end 19 of section 16 is turned and secured in tight, facial contact against the outer face of said end panels, and rivets are added to secure the lower ends of the end and side panels in overlapping relation, thus completing the outer shell of the vault.

The next step is to insert the expanded metal reinforcing sheets 27 and 29, the concrete is then mixed and applied to the interior of the shell to provide walls of desired thickness, and the completed vault is then set out to cure anddry.

In use, a conventional coflin (not shown), is placed on the base D, the vault V is then placed thereover, the flat lower end 22 of the end and side walls resting on said base, with the mastic strip 33 interposed as above described to effectively seal the vault with relation to the base.

In FIG. 11 of the drawings, I have shown a slightly modified construction in which the lower end of the side walls are formed with angled wedge sections 40, thence extending horizontally as at 41 and thence upwardly as at 23. This section 40 conforms to the angle 34 of the base D and the flat section 41 rests on the upper face of the base with a continuous mastic strip 33 interposed therebetween to form a tight seal thereat.

While in the foregoing specification, I have stated that the panels are formed of lightweight metal, it will be understood that they can also be formed of any light material, synthetic or reinforced, which will be of sufficient rigidity, when assembled, to use as a mold to permit reinforcing and coating with a lightweight concrete to provide walls of the necessary thickness.

From the foregoing description it will be obvious that l have perfected a very simple, practical and economical lightweight, metal-clad vault which requires no skilled labor to assemble and finish, and which can be readily transported and set up for use.

What I claim is:

1. A burial vault comprising separate top, side and end panels formed of metal having their adjacent edges bent to form interlocking joints and interlocked with one another to maintain said panels assembled and form a hollow body having an open bottom, said side and end panels having inwardly turned portions at the bottom of said body terminating in upwardly bent portions to form upstanding flanges spaced from and substantially parallel to the respective side and end panels; a lightweight cementitious layer secured to the inner surfaces of said top, side and end panels and sealing the joints therebetween, said layer filling the space between said upstanding flanges and said side and end panels and having a thickness corresponding to the spacing between said flanges and their respective side and end panels; and a base member closing the open bottom of said body, said base member comprising an upper metal panel bent downwardly at its sides and ends to form downwardly inclined flanges in sealing engagement with the inwardly turned portions of said side and end panels of said body, said base member having a lower, li htweight cementitious layer applied to said panel and being of a thickness corresponding to the width of the flanges of said base panel.

2. The construction set forth in claim 1 including anchor means secured to certain of said panels and reinforcing means secured to said anchor means embedded in said cementitious layer.

3. The construction set forth in claim 1 wherein the inwardly turned portions of the flanges of said side and end panels are inclined upwardly at an angle corresponding substantially to the inclination of the flanges of said metal base panel.

4. The construction set forth in claim 1 wherein said inwardly turned portions of the flanges of said side and end panels extend substantially normal to the respective side and end panels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 202,797 Dutton Apr. 23, 1878 667,956 Schirra Feb. 12, 1901 875,562 Williams et al Dec. 31, 1907 1,800,177 Cookston Apr. 7, 1931 1,871,453 Cobb Aug. 16, 1932 1,947,064 Scott Feb. 13, 1934 2,181,194 Martin Nov. 28, 1939 2,185,493 Beck Jan. 2, 1940 2,192,104 Reynolds Feb. 27, 1940 2,249,283 Brady et al July 15, 1941 2,649,644 Lager Aug. 25, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 182,629 Canada 1918 

1. A BURIAL VAULT COMPRISING SEPARATE TOP, SIDE AND END PANELS FORMED OF METAL HAVING THEIR ADJACENT EDGES BENT TO FORM INTERLOCKING JOINTS AND INTERLOCKED WITH ONE ANOTHER TO MAINTAIN SAID PANELS ASSEMBLED AND FORM A HOLLOW BODY HAVING AN OPEN BOTTOM, SAID SIDE AND END PANELS HAVING INWARDLY TURNED PORTIONS AT THE BOTTOM OF SAID BODY TERMINATING IN UPWARDLY BENT PORTIONS TO FORM UPSTANDING FLANGES SPACED FROM AND SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE RESPECTIVE SIDE AND END PANELS; A LIGHTWEIGHT CEMENTITIOUS LAYER SECURED TO THE INNER SURFACES OF SAID TOP, SIDE AND END PANELS AND SEALING THE JOINTS THEREBETWEEN, SAID LAYER FILLING THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID UPSTANDING FLANGES AND SAID SIDE AND END PANELS AND HAVING A THICKNESS CORRESPONDING TO THE SPACING BETWEEN SAID FLANGES AND THEIR RESPECTIVE SIDE AND END PANELS; AND A BASE MEMBER CLOSING THE OPEN BOTTOM OF SAID BODY, SAID BASE MEMBER COMPRISING AN UPPER METAL PANEL BENT DOWNWARDLY AT ITS SIDES AND ENDS TO FORM DOWNWARDLY INCLINED FLANGES IN SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INWARDLY TURNED PORTIONS OF SAID SIDE AND END PANELS OF SAID BODY, SAID BASE MEMBER HAVING A LOWER, LIGHTWEIGHT CEMENTITIOUS LAYER APPLIED TO SAID PANEL AND BEING OF A THICKNESS CORRESPONDING TO THE WIDTH OF THE FLANGES OF SAID BASE PANEL. 